Chapter Sixteen
Brandon
WHEN I RETURNED FROM CARRYING all the trash out of the baby shower, Tabby had already gone to her room for the rest of the night. I caught Mr. and Mrs. Thomas walking out of the apartment with my dad when I was walking around to the front of the building.
“Hey, are you guys heading out?” I ask, hoping to get some alone time with Tabby.
“Yeah, she wasn’t feeling well after all of today’s excitement,” Mrs. Thomas says apologetically.
I caught her point. She didn’t want me to disturb her daughter, so I respected that. I nodded my promise, then turned to my dad. “You ready to head out?” My dad rode here with me, not because I wanted to, but because he suggested it was pointless to take separate trucks.
“Yeah, got an early morning ahead of us.” He walks over to my truck, leading the way for me to follow.
I nod again because I already know this. My dad recently expanded the police force in Monroe, so it’s been a busy few months trying to get everyone situated and raising the funds so we can do more for the community.
The next couple weeks, I try to stay busy and hopeful that she’ll come around. But every day she continues to avoid me, I get harder to be around. I’ve almost pissed off everyone at work. Dad keeps sending me out on the odd calls just so he doesn’t have to put up with my ass.
I need to see her before I lose my damn mind. It’s been weird not being able to see her every day like I used to. She’s only a couple towns away, but it’s still too damn far. I would make the drive up just to see her every day if I could, but she’s not mine, and I can’t use Beth as an excuse. No brother wants to see their sister that much.
Today will hopefully change all of that. I’ve given her weeks to ignore me and avoid the conversation we need to have. I know she can feel what we have going between us. She’s just scared that it might be too soon, but even I know love doesn’t factor in time.
I get that she’s still in love with Matt, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have feelings for me too. They may not be as deep as what I feel for her, but I’m okay with that. I’ve loved her for years, while she loved him. I’m not bitter about it, but it was what it was. He got to her first. He made her happy, and that made it tolerable. Matt was a great guy, and I was proud to call him a friend. I miss him too. He wouldn’t want her to stay miserable, especially over him.
I pull in front of her apartment, shut off my truck, and climb out. I know they’re all taking finals, so I let myself in with the key Beth gave me the day they moved in. She promised to distract Steve and keep the both of them away, so I could have a chance to speak with Tabby.
Last weekend when she came home to have dinner for our dad’s birthday, I told her everything. She’d already figured it out on her own, but it was still nice to throw it all out there. To let someone else know how I felt about Tabby and give me an outsider’s perspective on what I should do.
Once she finished hollering on and on about what a dick I was for letting Tabby avoid me for so long, she revealed that I wasn’t the only one driving people insane. She gave me their final schedules and told me to ‘fix it,’ and that’s what I intend to do today after Tabby’s last final. I’ll admit that I’m hoping to take advantage of the post final high and hope her good mood will swing in my favor. I’m not ashamed. Tabby’s a stubborn woman. She’ll take whichever route she needs to, just to get her point across. It doesn’t matter is she’s in the right or not.
I walk into the apartment and decide to toss a text to Beth, so she knows to keep herself and Steve scarce. Not a minute later, my phone goes off in my hand. Beth’s face is stretched across the screen. I quickly swipe the little green circle. “Hello?”
“Get to the hospital now,” she shouts excitedly. “Tabby’s in labor!”
“I’m on my way.” I hang up and storm out the door and lock it behind me.
The drive to the hospital is done in record speed. I was ready to play the fellow cop card if I was caught speeding, but I was fortunate enough to not get caught. Once I find a parking spot, I jump out and run to the building. I find where she is in Labor and Delivery, and I have to force myself to walk as quickly as I can to get to her. Immediately I find my sister and Steve standing outside her door arguing.
“You are not calling him!” Steve growls. “He chose to not be here, Beth.”
“He’s our friend. He would want to be a part of this.”
“Who are we talking about?” I ask.
“John,” they answer at the same time.
“Yeah, I’m with Steve. He doesn’t need to be here.” I don’t want that dude anywhere near my sister right now after breaking her heart the way he did. “Who’s in there with Tabby?”
“We were waiting for her mom to arrive.” Beth looks down the empty hall expectantly. “Her parents are on their way with Phil.”
“So she’s in there alone?” I can’t believe these two. I don’t wait for an answer, because they should have had someone in there with her, instead of arguing out in the hallway. She should not be in there doing this alone.
I walk over to the door, swallow my slight anger at Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, and knock as I poke my head inside the room. “Tabby?”
“Brandon?” A surprised look takes over her face. “Y-you’re here.” She almost sounds relieved, and it does something inside my chest. Being needed, or even wanted by Tabitha Thomas is the best possible thing a man could ever ask for.
I walk the rest of the way into the room and reach over to take her hand in mine. “How are you doing, Tabby? What do you need me to do right now?” I lift her hand up to kiss her fingers.
Her grip tightens on my hand, almost to the point she might be cutting off the circulation. She grinds her teeth together and cries out. I’m beside myself with worry, and I instantly feel helpless. I hate seeing her in so much pain. I move a piece of hair off her sweaty forehead and tuck it behind her ear. The contraction seems to die down quicker than I thought it would, just as the nurse walks through door.
“Let’s see how far along you are, Miss Thomas.” She moves to the end of the bed and begins to lift the sheet, so I take this as my cue to exit the room. I start to pull away, but she holds tighter onto my hand again. Not as tight as a moment earlier, but tight enough that it gets my attention.
“Please, don’t leave me,” Tabby pleads. The request almost brings me to my knees. I know she means it physically, and in this moment, but I’m sensing that it extends further than that. It may be wishful thinking. I would never willingly leave her in any way, shape, or form. Tabby is the type of girl you never let go.
“Are you sure?”
“I need you,” she whimpers. A tear falls down her cheek, and her bottom lip quivers slightly. It slays me. This girl owns me, and she doesn’t even realize it, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
“You’re at ten centimeters already. It’s time to start pushing, Miss Thomas. I’ll alert the doctor. Try to hold on just a little longer.” The nurse rushes out the door to call the doctor. I take my place at her side and brush another kiss across the top of her head. I can’t stop kissing her.
“You’ve got this, Tabby,” I reassure her. “Just try to breathe.”
Doctor Boulder walks in not even two minutes later with the nurse from a few minutes ago and one other, and they get to the foot of the bed. He positions himself at her feet. It happens faster than I expect. He tells her to push, and she about breaks my hand as she cries out in pain. I stifle a groan when her painful grip on my hand is almost superhuman strength. Women in labor are stronger than any man. I almost guarantee it. Tears are rolling down her cheeks, and her face turns a deep red from all the exertion. Her hair is soaked in sweat. She looks beautiful still. I hold her hand all the way through, as I coach her on. When the baby comes, the little cry is the best sound I’ve ever heard in my entire life. It may be one of my new favorite sounds. They place the baby girl in Tabby’s arms, and she continues to cry, this time with an exhausted smile, as she looks down at her daughter for the first time. I’m in complete awe. I always thought Tabby was beautiful, but this moment goes beyond everything I ever thought before.
I lean over them just so I can get closer to this moment. The doctor smiles with a nod, then quietly leaves the room. The nurses stand off to the side patiently, waiting take the baby to clean her up.
I lean down and kiss Tabby again on the top of her head. “She’s beautiful, Tabs,” I whisper in awe.
“Do you have a name for us to write down, Miss Thomas?” one of the nurses asks.
“Matilda Beth Summers,” Tabby answers. No hesitation, and without taking her eyes away from her little girl. The smile on her face is contagious.
I’ve fallen in love even more. Just when I think I can’t love this woman any more than I already do, she proves me wrong. I’ve also fallen in love with another. Tabby’s little girl has stolen my heart. My heart doubles in size, just to accommodate the love I have for these two. The nurse comes over to take Matilda Beth to get cleaned up, and Tabby hands her over reluctantly. The nurses leave the room with the baby, and it’s now just Tabby and me. She looks exhausted. I feel exhausted, and I didn’t do anything. I’m positive it’s nothing compared to what she’s probably feeling.
“Marry me,” I blurt out. I don’t even realize I say it until her eyes grow wide with shock.
“We haven’t even gone on a date, Brandon.”
“We’ve already moved way past the point of dating,” I argue back. I don’t give her a chance to respond before I move forward. “I love you, Tabby. I always have, and I already love that little girl. I know you are still in love with Matt, and I would never ask you not to be, but I also know you love me, too. It may not be as much as I love you, but I can love enough for the both of us.” I move closer and kneel down enough to bring us to eye level. “Let me take care of you and Matilda Beth. You deserve the world, and I would do anything to give you all the love and anything else you could ever want or need.”
I finally allow air into my lungs and then hold it there as I wait for her answer. Eventually, her shock wears off torturously slow. I’m nervous, but I don’t regret what I said at all. I meant every single word. Her silence makes me think that a rejection will surely follow. I prepare myself for what I expect to come next. I’ll be here for her no matter what, even if it only holds the role of friendship.
“Okay,” she barely whispers, almost like it’s to herself.
“Okay? As in you’ll marry me?” I’m trying my hardest not to sound too eager, but damn it, I am.
She smiles, nodding in agreement, and tears pour wildly down her tired face.
“Really?” I sound hopeful, unable to hide my excitement.
“Really.” She giggles through her tears. “Yes, Brandon, I’ll marry you.”
I rush to wrap her up in my arms and gently pull her toward me. I slam my lips against hers. The kiss is deep and full of everything I feel for her, but it’s too quick for my liking. I could kiss those lips every second for the rest of my life.
She said yes!
Tabitha Thomas is officially mine. I plan to keep her forever. I want to announce it to the world right now, but she looks like she’s about to pass out. I kiss her one last time and give her a little space, even though I don’t want to. She leans back still smiling, with tears drying on her cheeks. Still beautiful. It doesn’t even take a minute before she falls asleep. I reach the handle to the door leading out to where everyone else is waiting.
“I love you, Tabitha Thomas.”